The Navy League of the United States, Twin Cities Council announces the Keel Authentication Ceremony for the future USS Minnesota SSN 783!
On Friday, May 20, 2011 at 12:00 noon the Keel Authentication Ceremony will take place at the Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Newport News, VA www.huntingtoningalls.com.
- In July 2008, the United States Navy announced that our state would be honored by having a warship named ‘Minnesota.’ Not since 1922 have we had a US Navy warship named after our state.
- Officially known as Precommissioning Unit (PCU) Minnesota, the Virginia-class fast attack submarine will receive its ‘USS’ designator once commissioned (estimated in June 2013).
- The Keel Authentication Ceremony is a time-honored tradition that includes having the signature of the Ships Sponsor welded into the keel of this ship. The Sponsor then announces that ‘the keel is truly and fairly laid.’
- This ceremony marks the first in three major milestones of bringing PCU Minnesota to the fleet.
- PCU Minnesota is being built in the same shipyard as the previous two USS Minnesota’s, and just five miles from one of the most famous naval battles in history that prominently featured the first USS Minnesota in the Civil War (the famed ‘Minnesota’ connection we see in many news stories).
- Please visit the new website www.ussminnesotassn783.com (the commissioning committee website) for additional information.
- Attending the ceremony from the Twin Cities Council:
- Dave Hutton, USN Ret., President, Twin Cities Council, and Co-Chair of USS Minnesota Commissioning Committee (USMCC)
- Brian Skon, Vice President, Twin Cities Council, Vice Chair USMCC
- Mike Alteri, USN Ret., Board of Directors, Twin Cities Council and member USMCC
- Jim Sillman, USN Ret., member Navy League and USMCC
- Please contact President Dave Hutton (hutton@commandstrategies.com) or Vice President Brian Skon (bdskon@fedex.com) if you have additional questions
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